1000 Escudos

Cape Verde's postcolonial banking history is compressed into a short window: the Banco de Cabo Verde was only established in 1975 following independence from Portugal, initially functioning as both central and commercial bank before the two functions were eventually separated. Thomas De La Rue handled the printing of this high-denomination note, a routine but reliable choice for Anglophone and Lusophone African central banks throughout the 1980s.

The sole security feature is a watermark — no security thread, no UV-reactive inks. Modest specification for a 1000 Escudo note by 1989 standards, though Cape Verde's small population and limited cash economy meant circulation volumes were low enough that counterfeiting pressure remained negligible.